Page 50 of Black Wing and Shadows
I simply nodded. I figured most people would probably connect the dots and figure it out if they hadn’t already. Thora didn’t seem surprised, but a couple fire platoon cadets shot me a look.
“This might be obvious, but you possess great power within you. We thoroughly need to understand the why.” He glanced at Thora. “And yours?”
“Both parents are Riders. Dad is a fire wielder, and my mom’s is classified," she told him. His eyebrows raised as he looked at her name tag, as if taking note of it. He glanced at the redheaded male sitting at the table. “And yours?”
“My mom is a Drusearon, and my dad is a Sorcerer. Neither has a specific ability I am aware of,” he told him. Vindex nodded.
“And you?” Looking at the brown-haired male sitting next to the redhead.
“Father is a Rider. He can manipulate metal. Mom is a regular Fae.”
“Alright. All of you definitely have the ability. Two of you should definitely be wielding. Thinking back to when you were ten to fourteen, did any of you experience anything that felt weird? You females would probably be on that earlier side.”
“When I was eleven, I had a nightmare in which I woke up screaming and windows were shattered. My parents appeared really worried about me, and—oh my gods—my parents were keeping my powers under control. Professor Melamora mentioned that some parents give their kids tinctures. I couldn’t believe they would do that. Afterwards, I took a tincture every night toprevent nightmares.” Her face looked torn. She dropped her head, unsure of how to process the realization she had.
“That’s okay to be upset, it is a lot to process. And yes, some parents choose to do that, especially if they believe their child’s powers will be too great for them to manage,” he said.
“I knew I was taking the tincture to reduce mine. When I was thirteen, I set the house on fire. My parents were horrified, and the air seemed to swirl through the house as I panicked. They sat me down, and I agreed to take it. I had actually stopped taking it months before I arrived here, but I haven’t felt anything since,” he said, he had a nervous tic of rubbing his palm with his finger.
Vindex looked at the other cadet. “I don’t remember anything, and I don’t remember taking anything daily?” the brown-haired cadet said. Vindex swung towards me.
“I also don’t remember anything, and didn’t think my dad was giving me anything, but I don’t know anymore,” I told him.
“Tinctures are the most popular method and the main reason we see delays in powers. I’m glad Professor Melamora shared that news. Sometimes it’s a lot to take in. It’s always important to remember that if a parent did that, they truly believed they were doing what was best for you. With all that said, I have a tincture for you—it’s basically anantidote. While most tinctures should clear from your system, some last much longer and don’t need daily dosing.”
My head spun, and my mind raced. Wait. Every month I went to the doctor and got my fertility tincture. Was that it? Shit, I hoped so. Did they mix it up?
“What is it?” He asked me. My eyes always gave me away.
“Would they have mixed it into my fertility tincture?”
“They could, it is highly possible,” he told me. He looked at the four of us. “This tincture tastes a little different once you swallow it. Within a few minutes, you may start to feel some tingling throughout. If you feel this, you have likely been given a tincture, and it was affecting you. If not, there is something else going on.” He handed each of us a vial to take.
In near-perfect sync, we all lifted our vials and swallowed.
Across the hall, chatter from the other classmates had been rising, but it cut off at once, silence slamming into place. I flicked my eyes toward them, then back to Vindex. He didn’t move, only watched. My gut told me he had struck them with his mind—a power both incredible and terrifying.
Did it work like our bonds with fliers? Or like the strange pull I shared with Zane? The thought needled at me, impossible to shake.
A sudden rush lit through me, tingling from toes to skull, a dizzy current that sent my pulse racing. Thora and the redhead jolted too, their eyes wide, their faces glowing with the same charge. My skin hummed, every nerve alive, my body thrumming like it might lift off the floor. Power surged inside me—wild, fierce, unstoppable. I didn’t know how to shape it, but gods, I could feel it burning, and it felt incredible.
“I can see that the three of you are feeling different. You probably can sense the magic that’s heightened in the college, but...” He looked at the brunette. “I can see that wasn’t your problem…”
He turned toward us, “Stoot, Blackcreek, and Bosmini, you three can go over there to start practicing shields for now. Ludewuggin and I are going to troubleshoot some more.”
The three of us approached the other group, and a few of them gave a quiet clap. It was almost embarrassing—our parents basically drugged usto keep our powers suppressed, taking a part of us away. At least Bosmini had a choice in his. I sat in a chair, closed my eyes, and focused on finding that wall.
“One of our Sorcerers may need to evaluate you to understand what’s happening. Even if you weren’t taking a tincture to reduce anything, that tincture also helps wake things up elsewhere. I know you said one of your parents is a regular Fae, and I know this is a hard question, but is there any chance that your father isn’t actually your father?” I heard Vindex ask him quietly, but not quietly enough.
Holy shit, that would be such a crazy scandal. Our class kept quiet and focused on our mental work for the rest of the lecture. In the end, Vindex broke through each of our shields. I felt him push through mine as well, which was pretty strange. I had one advantage that others didn’t—Zane. I could practice building blocks to block him out.
“Did you shield me out earlier?”I said, hoping he wasn’t busy, as he had been earlier.
“Yes, I damn near lost the challenge because hearing your voice caught me off guard. And that’s not your fault. I just wasn't ready, and I love hearing from you.”
“Hmmm, well, I am going to practice shielding you out now.”
“Oof, I take it your second class was magic-wielding?”
